Review: Miles Davis: Birth Of The Cool

Firstly, I know very little of Jazz. I've always loved the sound of it. But I've invested time to properly delve into the history of it and listen to the big pioneers of this genre on heavy rotation. But one name I do that many see as the greatest jazz musician not all-time, is Miles Davis.

I know his career has spanned many decades. But I don't think I've ever knowingly heard one of his songs.

After now seeing this fully biographical documentary, it certainly made me want to at least dip my toe into his back catalogue, as I felt this to be very entertaining and highly engaging throughout.

For me, it perfectly portrayed his genius, his unique approach to a new project, his flaws, his arrogance, his no-nonsense style of humour and his power-hungry style with his colleagues.
It was interesting seeing how the music of jazz reacted to the changing of the times and also how Davis was never afraid to evolve and work with a younger generation of musicians.

The people being interviewed during the film that worked closely with him enhanced certain stories really well and made it highly amusing but also heart-breaking.

This felt to be the perfect crash-course to non-fans of Miles Davis and will still entertain the hardcore fans. I didn't feel it went into a lot of depth, which made the experience not as impactful as I feel it could've been. But it remained a highly satisfying watch.
Jazz is certainly a genre of music that everyone should experience and seeing  the this aboutdocumentary best in the business certainly convinced me.

Rating: 7/10